Battlestar S4 UK pace thread with Spoilers

Gary D · 31-03-2005, 6:58 AM

bought it yesterday - watched the first episode "33" - very impressed.

so does someone want to tell me whats going on? it took about a minute to realise that i didn't have the pilot. (why was the pilot not included!!!) there are some questions below, if someone could answer them i'd be grateful.

SPOILERS:

who is the bird in the red dress (number 6, i believe?)
why is she in the that doctors head?
is boomer a cylon, as is hinted at in the prologue to "33"

thanks peeps

Gary

danvitale · 31-03-2005, 7:04 AM

The pilot was a seperate DVD release, called the "mini series" even though its a single dvd (running time is 2 hours approx). It might be worth watching that before you start the box set! That will answer your questions.

NicolasB · 31-03-2005, 9:30 AM

To answer your questions briefly while you're waiting for the miniseries to arrive (spoilers, highlight to read):

- Number 6 is a Cylon. Posing as a human defence contractor she had a lengthy affair with Baltar, and convinced him to give her the Department Of Defence Computer passwords (claiming they would give her firm a commercial advantage). This information facillitated the Cylon invasion.

- During that time she somehow implanted some sort of computer chip in Baltar's brain which means he can now see, hear or feel her as if she were real, but no one else can.

- Boomer is a cylon, but she doesn't realise it: she's been programmed to believe that she's human.

Indiana Jones · 31-03-2005, 9:44 AM

They first created the Mini-Series back in 2003 which was 3 Hours long and when they decided to create a 13 episode Season the Mini-Series then became the Pilot Episode so to fully understand the first Season you need to watch the Mini-Series as episode '33' takes place not long after the Mini-Series ends and I am sure alot of things that go on will make no sense at all without watching the Pilot.

Battlestar · 31-03-2005, 10:19 AM

yep , agree with all of the above.

I did find it strange that the pilot episode was not included in the dvd box set. I would have made sense to put it in there to encorage people that might not have seen it on sky to buy the dvd.

Any way. Great show, roll on season 2 which after the cliffhanger of the last episode cant come quick enough!!

Gary D · 31-03-2005, 10:39 AM

i've beenm into Brum this morning and found the pilot so i shall be watching that tonight

3 hmv's, 2 virgins, 2 music zones a whsmith's and a woolworths - there was one one copy of the pilot in all of them.

thanks for the replies guys

Gary

DigitalSmurf · 31-03-2005, 3:47 PM

I got hte pilot quite cheap as a Xmas pressie for the wife (£8.99 I think), so am looking forward to when I can pick up the box set at a reasonable price.

We enjoyed the pilot, but it's a bit of a cop-out that the Cylons are now in human form - saves a packet on the special effects budgets I suppose

Gary D · 01-04-2005, 8:19 AM

Ok, i've seen the pilot now - and fab it was too. Watched it in one sitting and it was great really great, no really really great!! The effects were some of the best i've seen on TV, although i was a little disappointed that we didn't see a "Battlestar" bite the bullet.

Someone please correct me if i'm wrong but my understanding is that the cylons are not in human form, only "the 12" are in human form.

Gary

Starburst · 01-04-2005, 8:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garyd

Someone please correct me if i'm wrong but my understanding is that the cylons are not in human form, only "the 12" are in human form.

Gary

Correct.
There are 12 Cylon models that look and act like "humans", the bulk of the Cylon population are still what we would call robots/machines in one form or another.

NicolasB · 01-04-2005, 9:21 AM

I think the implication is that the human-like cylons are the most recent, most advanced models. They're the ones in charge while the obviously-mechanical centurion machines are less sophisticated grunts. We don't really know anything about the relative population sizes.

Indiana Jones · 01-04-2005, 9:45 AM

This is a question that has been asked quite afew times before on BSG forums and some people think the 12 models refers to types of cylon including the robot versions and ships but others think it only refers to types of human looking cylon which is what I believe, will make sure I ask Tricia Helfer (No 6) when I meet her at the end of the month what the correct answer is.

NicolasB · 01-04-2005, 9:58 AM

What's of more interest to me is the question of who sent the message to Adama telling him that there are only 12 models of cylon....

Indiana Jones · 01-04-2005, 10:03 AM

That is the mystery isnt it, im kind of thinking Baltar but then they probaley had no idea who did it and just wrote it into the script which could be expanded on if it went to series.

Battlestar · 01-04-2005, 11:11 AM

I thought Adama was told about the 12 models by the cylon on ragnar station in the mini series. Could be wrong though, I will have to check.

NicolasB · 01-04-2005, 11:12 AM

The information is on a print-out of a message Adama receives from somewhere - but we have no idea who sent it or from where.

Indiana Jones · 01-04-2005, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David-Sheekey

I thought Adama was told about the 12 models by the cylon on ragnar station in the mini series. Could be wrong though, I will have to check.

He doesnt get told, he finds a piece of paper in his quaters, the question is who wrote it?

Gary D · 01-04-2005, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David-Sheekey

I thought Adama was told about the 12 models by the cylon on ragnar station in the mini series. Could be wrong though, I will have to check.

i think your right there David, it was the guy with Radiation sickness on the weapons station. (i think)

Gary

Gary D · 07-04-2005, 7:24 AM

ok i finished it

I've watched the whole dam lot and i have to say that i've not seen a Sci Fi programme like this in a long time, it was everything at Star Trek wasn't.

cant wait for the new season although will have to wait for the DVD as i wont watch it on sky (although i do give them credit for making it)

Fantastic program thanks David for showing me the light

without your passion i would have passed on it as i was never that much of a fan of the original.

Gary

Starburst · 07-04-2005, 10:56 PM

The season 1 soundtrack is going to be released this summer as well although I can not imagine it could be as much of a rip off as the R2 boxset is.
Shame on me for buying it

Lex · 07-04-2005, 11:27 PM

I absolutely loved this series too, as Garyd said there hasn't been a sci-fi show this good in years.

The question I have about the Cylons though is how come they all have to look the same? I mean at the very least they should be able to surgically alter their appearance, or give them some make-up or a different hairstyle or something!!

Also, whoever mentioned about the blonde woman being a chip in Baltar's brain... if that is the case how come she *spoiler* appeared on the Galactica (when she accused Baltar of being a traitor) and then disappeared without trace...

Starburst · 08-04-2005, 1:13 AM

One of the problems with mass production is that the products all look the same

There probably is some fundemental significance about the number 12 as well which has yet to be explained.

Anyhow there may be a million "number six" units in use at anyone time but in essence they are all the same, if a thousand die onboard a basestar is does not matter since the line continues elsewhere with individual memories and experiences passed on and intact.
In this repsect it's quite possible for one "person" to be in hundreds of locations at the same time doing various tasks and if required dying because it simply does not matter to them, they are not individuals as we see ourselves. That of course might be the very goal that the whole Cylon invasion/genocide/pursuit and manipulation of the colonies is designed to bring about.

I don't do this sort of thinking in the middle of the afternoon that's for sure

Indiana Jones · 08-04-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starburst

One of the problems with mass production is that the products all look the same

There probably is some fundemental significance about the number 12 as well which has yet to be explained.

Are there not 12 colonies of man? maybe that is why they are 12 models, one for each colony?

Starburst · 08-04-2005, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indiana Jones

Are there not 12 colonies of man? maybe that is why they are 12 models, one for each colony?

It could be as simple as that

There does seem to be parallels being drawn with the colonials and our own religous histories in such that some beliefs have multipule gods and others a single deity so perhaps 12 of anything becomes important.

NicolasB · 08-04-2005, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starburst

some beliefs have multipule gods and others a single deity

One of the things I like about this show (and which is probably quite daring for something made primarily for american TV) is the way that the humans have a polytheistic religion (not unlike that of classical Greece or Rome) while the cylons have a monotheistic religion. In other words it's the evil, inhuman humans whose belief system resembles modern Christianity.

I've always said Christianity is evil; it's nice that the Galactica people agree with me.

*oatmeal* · 10-04-2005, 5:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lex

I absolutely loved this series too, as Garyd said there hasn't been a sci-fi show this good in years.

The question I have about the Cylons though is how come they all have to look the same? I mean at the very least they should be able to surgically alter their appearance, or give them some make-up or a different hairstyle or something!!

Also, whoever mentioned about the blonde woman being a chip in Baltar's brain... if that is the case how come she *spoiler* appeared on the Galactica (when she accused Baltar of being a traitor) and then disappeared without trace...

It has never been confirmed how she appears to him. It's wrong to assume it's an implant as the series has never said one way or the other what it is.

Lex · 10-04-2005, 8:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oatmeal

It has never been confirmed how she appears to him. It's wrong to assume it's an implant as the series has never said one way or the other what it is.

Yes, that's how I saw it too. Wouldn't mind having her implanted in my brain though, better than a playstation anyday!

NicolasB · 11-04-2005, 8:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oatmeal

It's wrong to assume it's an implant as the series has never said one way or the other what it is.

She has said that it's a chip in his brain.

Incidentally, it was never definitely confirmed that the woman who appeared on Galactica is actually the same one as normally speaks to Baltar. Same model, clearly, but not necessarily the same individual.

Battlestar · 11-04-2005, 9:27 AM

yep, number six tell baltar that maybe she put the chip inhis head when he was asleep. It could be however that Baltar is just nutty as a fruit cake

.

Lex · 11-04-2005, 1:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicolasB

Incidentally, it was never definitely confirmed that the woman who appeared on Galactica is actually the same one as normally speaks to Baltar. Same model, clearly, but not necessarily the same individual.

Agreed. But if it was just a 'normal' model how did she disappear into thin air?

NicolasB · 11-04-2005, 2:00 PM

Quote:

But if it was just a 'normal' model how did she disappear into thin air?

She didn't. She was posing as human, and people believed she was, so she could have got off the ship easily. There was nothing mystical about her - remember everyone else could see her as well (unlike Baltar's usual No. 6).